Abri

We have never been disappointed by the excellent modern bistronomy at Abri, but the only way that we have been able to go in the last year has been when someone else had a reservation they couldn’t use. No, they will not answer their phone. No, there is no secret strategy. Even if you go in person and ask for a reservation, any reservation, at lunch or dinner for any number of people at any time in the future, the answer will be no. So take it off your list, it’s not a functional restaurant if you can’t ever go.

Reviews of interest

Sugared & Spiced (2014) “What lured me back this time is its tonkatsu sandwich lunch, available on Saturdays and Mondays only… Tonktasu is breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, a very popular food in Japan whether served with rice or in a sandwich form. At Abri, the sandwich consists of chopped cabbage, homemade mayonnaise, vegetable omlette, coarse grain Dijon mustard, tonkatsu, sweet and sour pork sauce, Mimolette cheese, all sandwiched by two pieces of toasts.”

Alexander Lobrano (2012) “This [dessert] was easily the best happy ending I’ve enjoyed all year, in fact, and it underlined the 360 degree excellence of this miniature kitchen and its remarkably self-exigent high-performance staff. This inflection of charm, excellence and affordability won’t last long, so go now.”

John Talbott (2012) “The 5 Japanese young-folks who cook and serve here have grabbed a tiger by the tail; today they turned away at least 10 people at lunch who didn’t have reservations and it’s only going to get worse, so book early.”

8 thoughts on “Abri”

Hi Dawn, I hate to say it, but Abri almost never answers their phone and so you’ll probably want to make other plans for your time here. Last year we researched which restaurants would be staying open during that holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s and posted the results here. We’ll be doing the same again this year but not for a few more weeks because the restaurants themselves generally have not decided their own schedules before December. But you can take last year’s post as a guide and many of the restaurants that were open last year will be open again this year. Good luck and happy holidays!

I am also looking for some great ideas for New Years Eve dinner.
I am visiting this time with my 22 year old daughter and we love a chill atmosphere, wonderful food away from the tourist scene and hopefully a well priced menu (if that possible on New Years eve!) Thanks!

Hi, does anyone know what time I should call for a booking at Abri? I’ve been calling between 10am-2pm on the days where they are open for lunch but cannot get through at the number posted here on this page.

A friend called to day to book for the 28th of February (so in 3 weeks), thinking we were counting large. She was told that they were booked until the end of March–so you may want to edit the ‘book a few days in advance to a week in advance’.

One of the main pleasant surprises. “Hole in the wall” is a compliment to describe this location, we actually walked by it a few times before actually realizing it was indeed the place. Another child of the starred trained / going independent chef phenomenon, the obvious Asian influences of Chef Okiyama screamed our throughout this incredibly cheap tasting menu which impressed us at every level. The crispy chargrilled bits of pork chop where amazing, and so was the simplicity of the Pollack. A chocolate ending was well placed

Kudos to such fine reviews! I went back for dinner last night and there were several tables empty, so perhaps for the first time in known history, the evening slot is the easier get. The only downside: overly bright lighting, “the better to see the food,” they said when we complained. We tried to explain that we were less interested in seeing our own wrinkles, and they finally dimmed the lights but a touch. But that’s such a fine point. Ultimately, when the food is that good and the service that lovely, who cares? Go! Go now!